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EternoGen

EternoGen team members with Mike Nichols, vice president for research and economic development

EternoGen—a new medical device company led by CEO and MU Crosby MBA program graduate Luis Jimenez, Chief Scientific Officer Rebecca Rone, and Chief Operations Officer Ron Bassuner—is incorporating nanotechnology and protein engineering to make materials that stimulate tissue regeneration and create biological implants that last longer than the current products on the market. Their current product that attracted university investment--a novel collagen “skin filler”--is undergoing testing for use in a variety of applications, and is differentiated from competitors through its ability to act as an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial agent. This technology was developed in collaboration with Dr. Grant from the MU Biological Engineering Department.

“Without this investment, our story might have been the usual story of a technology that is stuck between discovery and commercialization,” Jimenez said. “Instead, not only are we moving forward, but we have created enough momentum with this investment that we are beginning to attract other investors. Our ultimate goal is to build a research & development facility here in Missouri that will help us identify needs in health care and optimize our technology to address those needs. We would then partner with other companies to commercialize these innovations.”

Upon the successful achievement of milestones along the commercialization pathway, EternoGen will receive up to $200,000 from university EIP funding. With the help of the university, it has also been able to secure $100,000 from the Missouri Technology Corporation IDEA Funds, and $200,000 from mid-Missouri’s Centennial Investors.